Beverage Crate

ABSTRACT

A beverage crate having a bottom portion and an upper band connected to the bottom portion by a plurality of columns. The upper band includes a plurality of inwardly facing flat surfaces positioned about a perimeter of the bottom portion, and a plurality of inwardly facing concave portions. The upper band does not extend into the interior of the crate as defined by the bottom portion. A portion of each column extends into the interior of the crate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/077,455 filed Nov. 10, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a crate for carrying a plurality of beverage bottles or cans.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A large variety of plastic beverage crates have been developed for transporting and storing beverages contained in bottles or metal cans. The industry is constantly striving to improve the design of such crates.

The present invention provides an improved beverage crate for transporting beverage bottles or cans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a plastic beverage crate having a generally rectangular bottom portion and an upper band connected to the bottom portion by a plurality of columns. The upper band is completely outward of a perimeter of the bottom portion. That is, no portion of the upper band extends inward past the perimeter of the bottom portion (i.e., none of the upper band extends into the interior of the crate as defined or outlined by the bottom portion). Each of the columns extends from the upper band to the bottom portion. Unlike the upper band, each column includes a portion inward of the perimeter of the bottom portion. The upper band includes a plurality of inwardly facing flat surfaces and a plurality of inwardly facing concave surfaces.

In accordance with one embodiment, a beverage crate comprises a bottom portion having an upper surface for supporting beverages having a generally rectangular outer perimeter. An upper band is positioned above the bottom portion and entirely outward from the outer perimeter of the bottom portion. A plurality of columns connects the upper band to the bottom portion. Each of the plurality of columns includes a portion extending into an interior portion of the outer perimeter.

The upper band can include a plurality of inwardly facing flat surfaces. The inwardly facing flat surfaces can include a taper away from the interior of the crate (i.e., from the bottom of the flat surface to the top of the flat surface), or alternatively can be substantially perpendicular to the bottom portion. If perpendicular, the crate might not be able to interstack with existing crates.

The upper band can include a plurality of inwardly concave surfaces that are generally perpendicular to the bottom surface. The inwardly concave surfaces can alternate with the inwardly facing flat surfaces.

The beverage crate can further include a first end having a first handle portion and a second end having a second handle portion. The handle portion can extend outward from the bottom portion. The bottom portion can include a slight upwardly curving portion at the first end. The upwardly curving portion extends to an edge. The upwardly curving portion can include a first concave section and a second concave section.

The upper band can include a plurality of outwardly facing flat surfaces. Each of the outwardly facing flat surfaces can be connected to one of the inwardly facing flat surfaces at a top portion. This makes the upper band double walled in the areas having the inwardly and outwardly facing flat surfaces.

The upper band of the beverage crate can also include a plurality of outwardly facing convex portions. The convex portions are the outer surface of the inwardly facing concave portions.

The beverage crate can be a plastic material. The crate can be formed in a molding operation.

Further aspects of the invention are disclosed in the Figures, and are described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of our ornamental design of a beverage crate;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of a first side of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end plan view of a first end of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of a second side of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an end plan view of a second end of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the ornamental design of the beverage crate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 a cross-sectional view of the beverage crate of FIG. 1 from one end to the other end of the beverage crate;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the exterior of the beverage crate of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage crate of FIG. 1 from one side to the other side of the beverage crate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

FIG. 1 illustrates a beverage crate 10 having a generally rectangular bottom 12. An upper band 14 having a first side 16, a second side 18, a first end 20, and a second end 22 surrounds the periphery of the bottom 12.

The upper band is supported above the bottom 12 by a plurality of columns 24 spaced about the first side 16, second side 18, first end 20 and second end 22 of the upper band 14. The columns 24 extend inward (i.e., toward the interior of the crate) from the upper band 14.

The upper band 14 includes a plurality of flat surfaces 26 facing the interior of the crate. The flat surfaces 26 are substantially perpendicular to the top surface 28 of the bottom 12, or can have a slight taper away from the interior (from the bottom of the flat surface 26 toward the top of the flat surface 26). The flat surfaces 26 are at the edge of the perimeter of the bottom 12 and (while facing the interior) do not extend into the interior of the beverage crate 10 as defined by the bottom 12. A plurality of inwardly concave surfaces 30 are formed between the flat surfaces 26. The inwardly concave surfaces 30 extend outward (i.e., away from the interior of the crate) from the flat surfaces 26.

Each column 24 includes a first support bottle contacting surface 32 and a second bottle contacting surface 34. The contacting surfaces 32, 34 are separated by a connecting surface 36 as shown in FIG. 8. An angled portion 38 (slanting away from the interior of the crate 10 from a bottom portion to a top portion) connects the column 24 to one of the flat surfaces 26 of the upper band 14.

From an outer view, the columns 24 are concave as shown in FIG. 9. The base of each column forms a cutaway portion 40 in the bottom 12.

Each end 20, 22 of the beverage crate 10, includes a handle bar or strip 42 extending over an opening 44. The handle bar 42 allows one to grab and hold the crate. The bottom portion 12 includes an upward, slightly raised arching portion 45 under the handle bar 42. The upward arching portion 45 ends at an edge slightly above the relatively flat interior surface of the bottom portion 12. The upward arching portion can included a plurality of curved surfaces designed to contact a bottom portion of bottles positioned in the crate.

Referring to FIG. 9, the outer surface of the side 16 of the upper band 14 includes a plurality of flat surfaces 46. The flat surfaces 46 alternate with a plurality of convex surfaces 48. The convex surfaces 48 are the other side of the inwardly facing concave surfaces 30.

The outer flat surfaces 46 are positioned on the other side of the inner flat surfaces 26. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the outer flat surface 46 and the inner flat surface 26 are part of a double wall structure wherein the two surfaces 46, 26 are connected by a V or U-shaped (in cross-section) top portion 50.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be protected otherwise than as specifically described. 

I claim:
 1. A beverage crate comprising: a bottom portion having an upper surface for supporting beverages having a generally rectangular outer perimeter; an upper band positioned above the bottom portion and entirely outward from the outer perimeter of the bottom portion; and a plurality of columns connecting the upper band to the bottom portion, wherein each of the plurality of columns includes a portion extending into an interior portion of the outer perimeter.
 2. The beverage crate of claim 1 wherein the upper band includes a plurality of inwardly facing flat surfaces.
 3. The beverage crate of claim 2 wherein the inwardly facing flat surfaces taper away from the interior of the crate.
 4. The beverage crate of claim 2 wherein the upper band includes a plurality of inwardly concave surfaces.
 5. The beverage crate of claim 1 further comprising a first end having a first handle portion and a second end having a second handle portion.
 6. The beverage crate of claim 5 wherein the bottom portion includes an upwardly curving portion at the first end, the upwardly curving portion extending to an edge.
 7. The beverage crate of claim 6 wherein the upwardly curving portion includes a first concave section and a second concave section.
 8. The beverage crate of claim 4 wherein the upper band includes a plurality of outwardly facing flat surfaces.
 9. The beverage crate of claim 8 wherein each of the outwardly facing flat surfaces are connected to one of the inwardly facing flat surfaces at a top portion.
 10. The beverage crate of claim 9 wherein the upper band includes a plurality of outwardly facing convex portions.
 11. The beverage crate of claim 1 wherein the crate is formed from a plastic material.
 12. The beverage crate of claim 5 wherein the first handle portion includes an upper portion having a plurality of ribs extending toward an interior of the crate, and the second handle portion includes an upper portion having a plurality of ribs extending toward the interior of the crate.
 13. The beverage crate of claim 5 wherein the first handle portion includes a lower portion having a plurality of ribs extending toward an exterior of the crate, and the second handle portion includes a lower portion having a plurality of ribs extending toward the exterior of the crate.
 14. The beverage crate of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion includes a plurality of ribs.
 15. The beverage crate of claim 14 wherein the bottom portion include a plurality of openings extending through the bottom portion between the plurality of ribs.
 16. A beverage crate comprising: a generally rectangular bottom portion having an upper surface for supporting beverages and having an outer perimeter; an upper band positioned above the bottom portion and entirely outward from the outer perimeter of the bottom portion, the upper band including a plurality of flat surfaces and a plurality of concave surface, wherein each of the plurality of flat surfaces is adjacent a concave surface; and a plurality of columns connecting the upper band to the bottom portion.
 17. The beverage crate of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of columns includes a portion extending into an interior portion of the outer perimeter.
 18. The beverage crate of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of flat surfaces is perpendicular to the bottom surface.
 19. The beverage crate of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of flat surfaces taper away from an interior of the crate.
 20. The beverage crate of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of concave surfaces extend outward from the plurality of flat surfaces. 